Cervical osteochondrosis

Timely treatment of an illness increases the chances of a quick and successful recovery. But in any case, it is better not to allow the development of any disease, especially one as severe as cervical osteochondrosis.

Definition of cervical osteochondrosis

Cervical osteochondrosis is a fairly common disease that has recently been affecting increasingly younger people. The disease affects the intervertebral discs in the cervical spine. Often the development of the pathological process of degenerative-dystrophic changes is facilitated by an incorrect body position, for example, due to long work on the computer.

The problem can be triggered, among other things, by genetic predisposition, poor posture, uncomfortable sleeping space and a sedentary lifestyle. Despite the fact that this type of osteochondrosis develops rather slowly, it tends to progress.

In older patients, this disease is mainly combined with other degenerative processes, for example:

• interspinous osteoarthritis;
• spondylosis;
• revealing osteoarthritis and so on.

Symptoms

In the case of the most characteristic symptoms, one can first determine the occurrence of acute pain caused by pinching nerve endings. The pain is often concentrated in the lumbar, neck, and back regions. In addition, you can find other syndromes:

• Cardiac syndrome- consists of several symptoms that are similar in their manifestation to angina pectoris. This syndrome develops during irritation of the roots of the pectoralis major muscle or the phrenic nerve. Because of this, in the area of ​​the heart muscle, a person experiences painful sensations of an urgent nature, which occur regularly and can last for several hours. Sneezing or sudden head movements often make the pain worse. In addition, no changes in the cardiogram can be found in painful seizures.
• radicular syndrome- occurs when nerve endings in the cervical spine are pinched. At this moment a pain can be felt that can radiate not only to the forearm, shoulder or shoulder blade, but also to the lumbar spine. Depending on how much osteochondrosis is started, the patient may feel a slight tingling sensation or stronger sensations.
• Stimulus reflex syndrome- manifests itself in a burning sensation of pain in the back of the head and neck. Such symptoms often appear after waking up from sleep, with sharp turns of the head, coughing and sneezing. In addition, pain can manifest itself not only in the shoulder area, but also in the chest area.
• Vertebral artery syndromeis ​​one of the typical manifestations of the disease, which is characterized by the appearance of a burning or throbbing headache that is more localized in the temporal or occipital area. Often with this syndrome, it is the constant pain that occurs, but sometimes it can appear and subside.

Watch out!When there are symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, experts note the increased fatigue of the person, which can lead to hearing and vision problems.

The other main symptoms of the disease include:

• compression of blood vessels, which causes blood pressure to rise;
• severe headache that occurs due to impaired blood flow to the brain. This type of pain can lead the patient to use pain medication regularly.
• problems with sight and hearing;
• aching, rather severe pain in the neck and shoulders, which can sometimes be aggravated by sharp and very uncomfortable "lumbago";
• grinding and grinding when tilting the head or turning to the side;
• decrease in muscle strength in the arms due to pain in the chest area;
• dizziness.

Important!Once the first symptoms of this disease are noticed, it is necessary to seek help from a neurologist as soon as possible.

reasons

The main causes of osteochondrosis are the following:

1. Metabolic disorders that negatively affect the normal condition of the cartilage in the intervertebral discs.
2. Insufficient mobility of the cervical vertebrae, which leads to a loss of fluid, which in turn has a negative effect on the elasticity of the cartilage.
3. Microtrauma of the cervical spine when tilting, turning, etc. the head.
4. Bad inheritance, due to which the safety distance between the discs is very small.

Treatment

The therapy process depends directly on the stage of the disease and is based on an integrated approach. On average, the treatment lasts 1 to 3 months. Thereafter, the elimination of the symptoms must be supported by preventive measures for about another year.

The main treatment is carried out in two directions, depending on the patient's state of health and the degree of neglect of the disease. Conservative treatment includes taking medication and exercising. Surgical treatment is carried out only when the conservative has shown no effect.

It is importantto keep a diet and follow the recommendations for therapeutic exercises.

Conservative treatment is aimed at relieving pain, restoring and normalizing the function of the spine, and preventing adverse changes. A whole series of therapeutic measures is used in such therapy:

• Spinal traction (traction). When using special medical devices, the spine is stretched to increase the distance between the vertebrae.
• drug therapy. The main purpose of the use of drugs during this disease is the relief of pain, the relief of inflammation and the general normalization of metabolic processes in the body.
• Physiotherapy. Thanks to such procedures, it is possible not only to relieve pain, but also to improve the effect of taking drugs. Such methods are also used during the rehabilitation period. In this case, laser beams, ultrasonic waves, low-frequency electricity, working with magnetic fields, etc. are widely used.
• Kinesitherapyand exercise-based movement therapy;
• manual therapy. Such treatment is selected individually for each patient;
• Massage. Thanks to massage, you can accelerate blood flow to tissues, remove clamps and muscle spasms, and in general, improve blood supply to the entire body.

Despite the fact that drugs alone cannot cure osteochondrosis, they can help restore blood supply to tissues. Therapy should be comprehensive, only in this case we can talk about the effectiveness of treatment. In addition to taking medication, it is imperative to undergo physical therapy, follow a diet, and give up bad habits.

In the absence of pain or marked dystrophic changes, it is inappropriate to take medication without a doctor's prescription. The following types of medicines are used to treat this condition and provide pain relief:

• means for the regeneration as well as for the prevention of the degeneration of cartilage tissue: hyaluronic acid and analogues;
• to relieve inflammatory processes;
• Preparations to improve tissue blood supply: B vitamins;
• antispasmodic;
• Antioxidants: Vitamins N, E and C.

Medicines can not only be prescribed as tablets and capsules for oral administration, but also as injections or topical ointments / creams. In acute complications, drugs are used to block the nerve endings.

Along with drug therapy, it is very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and proper diet. Drink at least 1. 5 liters of water a day.

One and a half liters of water per day is the recommended norm for the health of the joints and the entire body.

Of course you can also use herbal teas, fruit drinks, dried fruit compotes or mineral water. Coffee, strong black tea, alcohol, and carbonated drinks should be eliminated from the daily diet.

Prevention

The main causes of osteochondrosis are ignoring the demands of the body, heavy loads and improper nutrition. Therefore, prevention should be based on the complete elimination of negative effects on the spine and prevention of the onset of pathological changes. For these purposes, it is enough to follow the usual rules of a healthy lifestyle (healthy lifestyle):

• only moderate physical activity during sports: morning exercise, gymnastics, athletics, if the types of wrestling then contactless, swimming is an excellent option;
• If you stay in one position for a long time, e. B. When working from a sedentary position, it is very important to take breaks at least every 45-60 minutes. During this time, you need to give your body 5-15 minutes to warm up a little, which will restore normal blood circulation. It is also very important to pay attention to the correct selection of office chairs or armchairs, giving preference to those that support the spine and control the correct position of the hands on the table and feet on the floor. Try to independently monitor your posture (your shoulders should be in a relaxed position and your back should be straight).
• It is important to try to control your emotionality in case you experience a convulsive reaction during stress. To do this, you need to learn relaxation techniques and systematically participate in massages to generally strengthen the body.
• For sleeping, it is best to choose an orthopedic mattress with a flat surface. Of course, it's not as soft as a feather bed, but its elasticity keeps the body in the right position.
• Drinking plenty of water and eating properly not only helps maintain your metabolism, but also strengthens the whole body:

The mental state also has a negative effect on the state of the joints.

• When there is a need to move or lift heavy things, it is very important to do it as smoothly as possible, without sudden lunges and jerks from the half-squat position. There is no need to use a special support belt.
• An important point is the choice of high-quality orthopedic shoes without high heels with sufficient foot width. It is also possible to reduce the stress on the spine by replacing worn shoes in a timely manner, which is especially important for women. In the summer at the dacha, the sea, if possible, you need to walk barefoot on various surfaces to strengthen the muscles of the foot.

It is important to remember thatprevention is much better and easier than treating the disease afterwards.

Exercises

In no event should you begin any physical activity or exercise without a doctor's prescription or before relieving pain syndrome. The specialist must first relieve any acute symptoms. If you have symptoms of pain, gymnastics is painful.

There are some really effective and simple exercises. They can be done not only at home but anywhere, including at work or even on the go.

At the beginning of the exercises, the starting position is always on a chair, hands folded on the knees:

It's worth starting with a warm-up:

1. In the starting position, you need to slowly turn your head to one side until it stops, and then to the other. At this moment, you need to feel the muscles of the neck stretch. Once the neck is completely turned to the side, you need to turn it a few degrees as carefully as possible to avoid sudden movements and fix it in this state for 5 seconds. Experts recommend starting any exercise with a warm-up to strengthen your neck muscles. In any direction, it is enough to make 5 turns to develop the strength and flexibility of the neck.
2. Next, you need to tilt your head so that the ear approaches the shoulder. It is worth noting that at this point the shoulder must remain motionless. When approaching as close as possible, you need to determine the position. Make sure that the actions do not cause discomfort or pain. It is enough to carry out such inclinations five times for each side.

Next, continue with the main exercises:

1. After the warm-up is over, you can now continue with certain exercises that can lead to a good result. In the starting position, you need to put your hand on your right temple. Now you have to try to tilt your head to the right and at this moment the hand should prevent it. The exertion should be such that it was hard, but the head was still gradually tilted in that direction. 10 slopes are sufficient for each side. Of course, the hand also has to be changed.
2. Next you need to grasp the occipital region of the head and create resistance. Try tilting your head back five times.
3. Exactly the same exercise must be done with the palms resting on the forehead. With resistance, you need to pull your chin towards your chest. It is enough for 5 forward bends.
4. The end of the workout can be the warm-up of the trapezoid, which is carried out by lowering and raising the shoulders. At the highest point you need to click in for a few seconds, then lower them and relax completely. Enough for 10 repetitions.
5. Finish the exercise by stretching your neck in different directions. These exercises must be done every day. This is a great option for warming up the neck with osteochondrosis.

In addition to strength training, exercises for neck flexibility can be included. They not only strengthen the neck muscles, but also the tendons. Warming up makes your neck more flexible.

The exercises are recommended by specialists not only for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, but also for all people over 30 years of age. The problem is that at this age, muscle fibers lose their flexibility. Hence, it is important to maintain them along with the overall health of the body.

1. The chin must be pulled towards the chest and at this moment help the head with the hands.
2. Very carefully, with your hands you need to tilt your head to one side to touch the shoulder with your ear.

Only the right treatment at the first symptoms of osteochondrosis will allow you to quickly resolve this problem and return to normal life without pain and discomfort.

Next you need to make several circular movements of the head in one direction and then the other. 8 turns are enough for each side. The exercise must be done very carefully. For safety reasons, you can hold your head with your hands.